Can Someone walk Bruno?
by tophetangel
Summary: Started off as a ficlet, requested to keep writing the story, COMPLETE! Gil had to let pieces of his personal life come out in the wake of finding Sara, including sending Nick to his hom to take care of their dog. GSR and Brunocentric
1. Chapter 1  Found Alive

A/N - I am in a very GSR place these days, please R&R, my first story and while a little fluffy, I heart feedback!

I may own my own car and home, but I do not own CSI.

He sat in the dimly lit hallway, staring at his feet. His mind was going a mile a minute, it hadn't stopped racing since the moment he'd discovered the miniature on his Desk.

He thought about her, all alone in the desert. He thought about the pain she had suffered. He thought about how pale her lips had been when they found her. He thought about the sick feeling he had as the EMTs loaded her into the helicopter.

"What if it's too late?" He thought. "What if she doesn't make it?"

He thought about being alone again. No one beside him as he slept, no one to talk to in the evening, walking the dog alone in the park...

"Bruno!" He suddenly remembered out loud... "Oh Bruno..." He whispered.

He closed his eyes and thought back to the day he brought Bruno home. He walked along the concrete hallway, each dog reacting differently to his presence. Why he had even stopped at the shelter that day was a mystery, in fact, he still couldn't think of a logical reason for stopping there that day.

A tiny terrier yipped and bounced at the kennel door. "Not a chance bud, sorry..." He muttered to the dog.

A poodle mix of some sort growled as he passed by. "With that attitude, no one will ever take you home."

A Springer spaniel chased his tail incessantly in circles." You'd break everything I own in a week"

A litter of little yellow puppies barked and jumped as he bent down to take a closer look at the bouncing fluffs of fur. "With our hours, housebreaking would be a nightmare." He sighed and stood up. He wondered why he was making excuses for every dog, was he seriously thinking about a dog?

He and Sara had casually talked about a pet, but a dog? They both worked long, unpredictable hours, and he hadn't had a pet with less than 8 legs or without scales since he was a small child. Was their life really conducive for a dog?

That's when his eyes settled on Bruno. The dog sat at the front of his kennel, not barking, not whining, not growling. His nub of a tail wagged softly as he looked up at Gil.

His eyes were a soft brown, and something about them just pulled Gil in. Bruno lowered his head as Gil reached his hands in to scratch behind his ears, and Gil was reminded of the night he melted into another pair of brown eyes. While he wasn't a big believer in fate, something told him this was his dog. "Maybe I just have a thing for brown eyes" He chuckled to the dog. He stood up at called to the lady down the hall..."This one just got a home"

Catherine snapped him into the present. "Gil? Is there anything we can do?"

"Actually there is" he said, passing her a set of keys. "Can someone walk my dog? He's been alone for too long, and he is accustomed to a daily walk."

Catherine stared at him for a moment. "You have a dog?!?"

He looked at her and nodded.

"Gil Grissom has a DOG? Seriously?"

"Yeah. Sara and I have a dog. Bruno. He will also need more kibble, and fresh water. Sara keeps the kibble under the kitchen sink."

He sighed as he thought about Sara frolicking in the backyard with the dog. "Oh and you'll need the address, when we merged households, we needed more space..." He trailed off.

Catherine sat gob smacked as Gil wrote the address out for her. "It had been less than 24 hours since the team had found out about them and they had 'merged households??' AND have a dog?" Now it was Catherine's brain that was going a mile a minute.

Nick wandered over, and Catherine decided to send him to the house. Nick loved animals and would give Bruno the attention he needed.

"Nick? Would you be willing to go to Grissom and Sara's house and take their dog Bruno for a walk? The kibble is under the sink and he will need fresh water as well. Here is the address." She handed him the slip of paper.

Nick stared at her for a moment; trying to process the information he's been given. "Sure thing. Bruno right?" Catherine nodded and he was on his way.

Catherine took the empty seat next to her friend, and gently put her hand on top of his.

"The whole ride home, Bruno sat in the front seat, and looked out the window as the world buzzed by, he didn't make a peep. He was such a good dog, and I just couldn't wait to surprise Sara. I just knew she'd love him..."

Catherine smiled, and let him continue to talk, she didn't see the warm side of her colleague often.

"When we came in, she was asleep, it was perfect. I found some old Christmas ribbon in the garage and made a giant bow and stuck it on his collar. He looked so damn cute Cath, I knew I had made the right decision in adopting him." He stopped, to keep himself from shedding the tears that were forming, and he felt her grip his hand tighter.

"So how did Sara react?" Catherine asked, hoping it wouldn't be too hard for him to finish the story.

"Oh" Gil smiled "I brought him upstairs and he hopped right ON the bed! Sara rolled over and opened her eyes...and she just shot up and started crying!" He laughed. "She was crying and hugging the dog and then he was hugging me, and thanking me over and over again." He stopped and choked back the tears again. "She loves that damn dog" He finally let a tear fall. "When we get home from shift, we talk him on a walk; we can decompress and just relax." He paused for a moment, as if he'd had a revelation. "Having her in my life has changed me." He whispered as he put his head in his hands and sobbed.

Catherine gripped his knee to let him know she was there for him if he needed her...and she herself shed a few tears, he had let her in, and she felt privileged to be invited in.

He wiped his eyes a few moments later, and thought again of Sara in their backyard in her shorts and tank top, her hair in a messy ponytail, as she tried to get the dog in the kiddie pool for a bath. As the images of her laughing, covered in soap suds, faded into the reality of the waiting room, all he could mutter, without breaking down again, was, "She Loves that Damn Dog... she just loves that damn dog."


	2. Chapter 2 The House

**A/N ---If you feel like it, click on my profile, this is a continuation of my very first fan fic _She Loves that Dog_, but they can stand alone, so I leave that up to you!**

**I do not own CSI, but envy the luck S.O.B's who do...**

* * *

As Mountain View Hospital disappeared in his rearview mirror Nick's mind turned to the task that lie ahead. 

Walking Grissom's Dog.

Catherine's words echoed in his head, not only did Grissom have a dog, Grissom and _Sara_ had a dog; and it lived in their house.

Nick wondered what Bruno would be like, more importantly he wondered what Grissom and Sara's _house_ would look like. A sly smile found its way to Nick's lips; he would be ALONE in Grissom and Sara's house.

After his navigation system got him turned around twice, Nick finally parked his Denali in their driveway. He got out and took it all in. It was a modest house, plain stucco on the outside, with brown shutters, not unlike most homes in sin city.

He fumbled with the keys, and finally managed to get the door unlocked. He walked in, shutting the door behind him and took it all in. It was small, but cozy. "Very _home-y_" He concluded out loud.

Hearing someone talking woke the sleeping dog, and he jumped off the bed and came out to stand at the top of the stairs.

"You must be Bruno!" Nick smiled, sending the dog running down the stairs. After a few good sniffs and a couple of ear scratches, Bruno was ready to go. Nick turned around realizing neither Catherine nor Grissom had told him where to find a leash. But there it was, neatly folded on the table next to the door. "Very Grissom like" Nick chuckled as he clipped the leash onto Bruno's matching leather collar. "Ok, let's go boy!"

* * *

The moon was shining bright as Nick and Bruno made their way around the neighborhood. Bruno seemed to enjoy his new friend; Nick hadn't stopped talking since they'd left the house. "Good thing it's midnight and no one is out to see me talking to a dog!" Nick thought to himself. "Don't worry Bruno, the best doctors in town are working on your Mama, they're gonna try their hardest to get her back home." He said to the dog as he reached down to scratch his ears. "Ok boy, let's go get you fed"

Back at the house Bruno waited patiently as Nick poured the kibble into his bowl. Nick added an extra scoop before setting it on the floor. "We won't tell Gris will we?" The dog cocked his head to the side, and finally set into his dish.

Nick chuckled as the dog happily grunted as he ate his dinner. He flipped open his phone and dialed Catherine.

"Willows"

"Hey Cath, its Nick"

"Hey Nick, how's Bruno doing?" She asked, this caught Gil's attention and he walked over.

"Bruno's doing great, we took a midnight stroll, and now he's enjoying his dinner."

"That's great" She covered the phone and turned to Grissom, "They've walked and now they are eating" Gil smiled and told her to thank Nick.

"Nick? Grissom says thanks for doing that."

"No problem, actually can I talk to him for a minute?"

"Sure Nicky..." She passed the phone to Gil.

"Nick? Don't overfeed him ok, boxers tend to get gassy"

Nick quickly glanced over to the dog, and his now empty dish. "How the hell does Gris do that?" He thought.

"Sure thing boss." He answered back, and putting his finder up to his lips and looking over to Bruno, who simply cocked his head and headed for the water dish.

"Gris, I'm dead tired and Bruno will need to go out again in a few hours, would it be cool if I crash on the couch? I'll take my shoes off and I won't touch a thing, I promise."

Grissom chuckled a bit "Sure Nick, we have extra pillows and blankets in that closet at the end of the hall upstairs, and help yourself to anything in the fridge."

"I think I'll be ok couching it boss, but thanks."

"Thanks again Nick, it really means a lot"

"No problem boss, I'm happy to do it, besides I think Bruno and I really hit it off, you've got an awesome dog."

Gil passed the phone back to Catherine, who quickly turned her back and walked away. "You're sleeping at Grissom's house??" She whispered, almost hissing into the phone.

"Yeah, just a quick snooze on the couch." Nick told her, a little puzzled by her reaction.

"What's it like in there??" She whispered so low Nick could barely hear her.

He laughed. "It's very, very...neat"

"C'mon Nicky, SPILL"

"It is neat, but it's very home-y. It's nice, a normal house, except the bugs all over, but what do ya want? Its Gris... Look, I'm gonna nap, you call me the second you hear anything."

"I will, but when you get back here Stokes I want details damn it!!"

"You got it Cath, see ya later."

"Later"

Nick snapped his phone shut and looked around. It was neat, but warm, the walls were painted in war green, brown, and blue hues. The furniture was over-stuffed, and looked very inviting; this was not how he pictured Grissom's house at all. He'd expected the bugs; they adorned most of the living room and spread into the den.

Nick walked back towards the front of the house and stared up the stairs. His hand gripped the rail, but he hesitated. While he did technically have permission to go up there, it just felt...weird. Bruno came around the corner, water dripping from the corner of his lips. He looked at Nick; he looked up the stairs, and looked back at Nick.

"Ok, but I am NOT snooping!!" Nick said as Bruno raced ahead of him.

Bruno headed down the hall and went into the last room on the left; Nick followed, passing a very organized office with a library of books, and he glanced into the very burgundy bathroom. "That has to be _ALL_ Sara" He laughed out loud.

He found Bruno curled up on the bed. "Whoa...Grissom and Sara's bedroom..." He whispered. Bruno lifted his head to look at him, but quickly settled back in for his nap. Nick glanced around the bedroom; the bed was neatly made, nestled between his and her nightstands. It was easy to tell whose was whose. One held and orchid in a vase, a few magazines, and a half bottle of water. The other had a copy of Moby Dick, a forensic journal, and a scorpion pinned inside of a shadow box.

Nick found himself smiling. "Wow, they're like a normal couple." He looked at the scorpion. "Well, _almost _normal couple." He sighed. He thought of Sara back at the hospital, still in surgery. "She's strong; she held on that long, she is going to make it." He assured himself as he left their doorway and headed back downstairs.

As he sat on the couch, a rather large, leather book caught his eyes. As he picked it up, he realized it was a scrapbook. He smiled; he could see Sara being a secret scrap booker. As he opened the book, the title page simply read 'US'.

The second page has large black letters at the top. "OFFICIAL FIRST DATE" and there was a picture of Sara and Grissom sitting outside The Wynn. "That had to have been over 2 years ago!" Nick gasped.

He flipped through the pages, each one revealing a very happy Sara and Grissom. Pictures of them hiking through Red Rock, the pair outside the house proudly pointing to the sold sign in the yard. The last of the pictures were professionally done. Sara and Grissom cuddled together, Sara and Grissom sharing a kiss, and finally a picture with Sara, Grissom, and Bruno.

Nick flipped the page, hoping for more pictures; instead he found the last page decorated with Las Vegas theme items and at the top in large silver letters "The Grissoms"

"No friggin' way!!!" Nick hadn't realized he was shouting until Bruno appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"They're going to get _MARRIED_?" Bruno cocked his head, and Nick realized he had asked the question to the dog.

He quietly closed the book and lay back on the couch. As his mind tried to comprehend everything he'd seen in the last hour, he secretly hoped to be invited to the wedding, once Sara came home.


	3. Chapter 3  Small and Broken

A/N - I will try to update frequently and get this done for you guys. I write this at night and just paste it the next day, so there are grammar mistakes... sorry about that and usually you guys can figure out what I meant...

If you are a person who prays, please keep us in Minneapolis in your prayers, the tragedy has touched home with all of us, involved directly with the accident or not, as we all have crossed that bridge thousands of times over the years, and this is all still surreal for us.

* * *

Disclaimer - You know the drill, CSI ain't mine!

* * *

The morning sun came to rest on Nick's face; he opened his eyes and panicked for a moment before he remembered where he was. 

Grissom and Sara's couch.

He sat up and wiped the sleep from his eyes before flipping open his phone.

"Brown"

"Hey Rick its me, anything change?

"Gris is over talking to the surgeon now, but it looks like she came through the surgery man."

Nick glanced at his watch; Sara had been in surgery for nearly 7 hours.

"Hold on Nick, here comes Gris."

Nick listened closely and heard Grissom give the update. "She had extensive internal bleeding and a lacerated liver. Her left arm is broken, her legs are broken, and she had some lacerations on her neck and head. She is severely dehydrated, and has some swelling in her brain, but she made it through the surgery but she is still in critical condition. The next 24 hours are going to be crucial, they're moving her to ICU, I will be able to see her for a few moments but that's it. You guys have been here all night, you need to go home and sleep and get some food." Nick heard everyone refuse and he chimed in too.

"Hey Rick? I'm going to feed and walk Bruno and then I will be heading over there"

"See you in a bit man"

Nick stood up, fixed the cushions on the back of the couch and headed towards the kitchen. As he passed the stairs he called for Bruno, and he could hear a thump, followed by the sound of nails on the hardwood floors upstairs. He grabbed the bowls and began rinsing and refilling the water dish. Bruno appeared in the kitchen, gave a little stretch and greeted Nick with a nuzzle on the leg.

"Hey boy! Here you go!" He said as he set the kibble in front of the hungry dog. He glanced at the fridge and saw a little note, in Sara's handwriting.

Love is patient, love is kind.  
It does not envy, it does not boast,  
it is not proud.  
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,  
it is not easily angered,  
it keeps no record of wrongs.  
Love does not delight in evil  
but rejoices with the truth.  
It always protects, always trusts,  
always hopes, always perseveres.  
Love never fails.  
1 Corinthians 13:4

Nick removed the magnet and slipped the paper into his wallet for safe keeping.

He glanced over at Bruno who had finished his breakfast and now had water seeping down the side of his lips. Nick opened the door and Bruno sauntered out into the sunlight with Nick right behind him.

The backyard was small and simple; a small patio with a table sporting an umbrella covered in dragonflies, a row of potted plants lined the patio - their flowers starting to bloom. Nick grabbed the hose and sprinkled water across the thirsty plants, he wanted them to be alive and blooming, just like Sara would be when she returned home.

The sun beamed over Vegas and Nick decided not to walk Bruno in the heat, they went back in the house and Bruno ran into the den and settled on a chair next to the central air vent. Nick told Bruno he'd be back later and headed back towards the hospital.

* * *

Nick walked down the sterile hallway towards the waiting room where the team was gathered. Catherine saw him and waved him in. 

"Grissom is in with Sara, they said he can only see her for a few moments. Poor thing, he is just a mess. He's trying to pull a Grissom and hide it the best he can, but he is mess." Catherine told him.

"So what is the house like man?" Warrick asked.

"Yes! I want to know!!" Catherine chimed in.

"It's nice, very simple. Small and Cozy. They've decorated with bugs in frames... very Grissom. Its really warm, over-stuffed furniture, pictures of them scattered around the house..its neat but not sterile feeling... nothing like I imagined it would be. And the dog is the best dog, he's a sweet boy." Nick decided it was best not to tell them about the scrapbook or that they had planned on getting married, he didn't want it to get back to Gil, he didn't want him to think he was snooping around.

Grissom walked in and sat on the nearest chair. His face was pale and his eyes were red. No one said anything, they didn't know what to say to comfort him.

"She looks like shit" Grissom grunted. "She looks so small, and broken."

"Natalie is going away forever Gil; you know she is going to get the needle" Brass spoke up.

"And Sara is strong, she will get stronger in time" Nick added

"And she has you Gil, she has someone to be there for her through all of this" Catherine said.

"Sara is a survivor" Warrick chimed in

"We are ALL here for you guys, and we'll be there for you both" Greg said.

Grissom looked up at the room full of people who cared about Sara, and him as well, and all he could mutter was "Thank you. Thank you guys."

After a moment of silence, his eyes turned to Nick "How is Bruno?"

"Great, we played in the backyard this morning after I fed him, he watched me water the plants outside and then settled in on the chair in the den."

Grissom smiled, remembering how Sara had had a smear of dirt on her face while she planted those flowers, he neglected to tell her because she looked so cute and he wanted to be the one to wipe it from her cheek.

"What kind of dog is Bruno?" Greg questioned, trying to lighten up the conversation as much as he could.

"Boxer" Nick and Grissom said at the same time.

"Yeah I can see you with a dog like that" Greg chuckled

"He's a great dog Gris, he really is" Nick said

"The best" Gil answered back

There was silence again, no one knowing what to say to comfort him.

I know you guys have a lot of questions" Grissom said, as his team all looked up at him "And I want you to know that we didn't keep it from you because we didn't trust you, or didn't _want_ you to know, but it was self preservation. A supervisor dating one of his co-workers is not acceptable. We had to avoid being found out at all costs, we have a great team and we work well together, and we didn't want to throw a wrench into the works. We didn't want to lose our jobs. We _couldn't_ say anything."

"We understand Gil. We do." Catherine said, knowing it was hard for Gil to have said that. Everyone agreed.

Gil sighed, relieved they weren't upset with him, they were the closest thing he had to a family, and while he would never say that out loud, he hoped they all knew it somehow.

"Food?" Nick said, scanning the room for a breakfast buddy.

"Why don't you, Greg, Rick, and Catherine go?" Brass chimed in. "We'll stay here, and when you get back, Gil and I can get some grub"

* * *

As they headed down to the cafeteria, no one said anything. It had been a surreal day for them, and they were still processing everything they had learned. Once they got their breakfast and found a table Greg spoke up. 

"You know, you work with a guy for years and years, and you think you have him pegged, and then it turns out they aren't what they seemed." He said, sliding some scrambled eggs onto his fork.

"I know it's hard to believe but Grissom _IS_ human you know." Warrick said, trying desperately to cut his sausage with a plastic knife.

Catherine nodded as she was smothering her pancakes in syrup.

"Want some pancakes with that syrup?" Nick joked as he buttered his own stack of pancakes.

"Oh shut it Nicky." She snapped back jokingly. "Ok, so bugs on the walls, comfy furniture, and a great dog. Tell us more about the Grissom/Sidle house, details, DETAILS Stokes"

"It's a normal house." Nick said, not knowing what information he could give to satisfy Catherine but save some of Gil and Sara's privacy. "Their upstairs bathroom is burgundy... Grissom has a scorpion in a box next to the bed... Sara reads_ 'Cosmo'_... I don't know what else to tell you Cath"

Catherine thought for a moment. "Did you look in their bathroom cabinets?"

"No! Guys don't do_ that_ Catherine."

Warrick laughed "It's true we don't do that, only at crime scenes"

"I'm telling ya, you can tell a lot about someone by the contents of their bathroom cabinets and their fridge." Catherine told them. "Did you at least look in the fridge?"

"Nope." Nick smiled, seeing Catherine getting agitated.

"Damn you Stokes" She muttered, before stuffing a few pieces of Pancakes in her mouth.

* * *

Upstairs it was quiet as Brass sat gazing out the window, the Vegas skyline in the distance. Grissom watched the nurses going in and out of the double doors that kept Sara from him. He turned to his longtime colleague and drew a sharp breath. 

"You knew about us, didn't you?"


	4. Chapter 4 Breakfast Club

**A/N** - Ok I am reeeeally unsure about this chapter, please tell me what you think, and I can tweak it. I was in a very fluffy place last night, so I dont know if this flows very well... I made the story of how Jim found out pretty simple... and I got greedy and figured Sara would need a nurse, and I'm a nurse, so I made the nurse me... :)

**Disclaimer** - CSI aint mine!

* * *

Jim got up and sat in the chair across from Grissom.

"Yes, I knew about you."

"How did you know?"

"Oh, four/five months back, after that shooting on Freemont, I was about to leave but remembered I was out of toothpaste. Stopped into the Walgreen's there, and as I was checking out I saw you two at the stoplight, sharing a kiss. I figured you'd tell us when and if you wanted to."

Gil nodded, he remembered that night, they'd worked a double and were excited for their weekend off. "I appreciate you respecting our privacy Jim, you're a good man."

"And I won't be telling anyone now either, somehow I think Catherine would shoot daggers if she knew I have known for this long."

Grissom couldn't help it, he let out a laugh.

"Somehow, I think the same thing."

As the first shift of the breakfast club returned, Brass and Grissom headed down to cafeteria for their meal.

"They asked Nick what your house was like" Brass said as the elevator doors closed.

Grissom raised an eyebrow.

"He said it was small and _cozy_."

Gil smiled to himself. "Yeah, that's all Sara's doing; did you know that correctly positioned furniture, and small personal items scattered in with books and collections on shelves, gives a room an inviting feel?"

Brass looked at Grissom like he had lost his mind.

"She saw it on HG-TV" Gil said as the doors opened.

"Oh." Was all Brass could mutter as they entered the busy cafeteria.

When they finally found an empty table and started to eat, Gil glanced across the table at Jim. He felt his guard go down, and he shifted in his seat.

"She and I were trying to find a way to get married."

Jim nearly spit waffles all over the table.

"OK, _THAT_ threw me through a loop" He managed to sputter as he wiped his mouth with his napkin.

"Neither of us thought we needed to get married. We have been independent our entire lives, we are dedicated to our careers, we live together, we know we are_ it_ for each other. We didn't feel like it was necessary to get married, we didn't need the same last name to make us complete. At least, that's what we kept telling ourselves."

He stopped and looked over at Jim, a drop of strawberry jelly on his chin. Grissom motioned to his chin and Jim quickly wiped his face again.

"Then we went out to the steakhouse at the Wynn for our anniversary, on the way we stopped at a red light and saw a couple coming out of Wee Kirk and get into a limo with the 'Just Married' sign on the back. She had this longing in her eyes as she watched them drive away. So I proposed at dinner."

"Wow." Jim whispered, not able to find any words at that moment. He had worked with Gil for years, but he wasn't the type to let you in, he was private and never shared more than he had to; to have him confessing this almost felt like something out of the twilight zone.

"We just had to find a way, if she switched shifts and went to swing shift we could make it work, I would no longer be her supervisor. But she didn't want to leave the team just yet; it was going to be a hard decision for both of us."

"Gil, you'll find a way to make it work, if you two make each other that happy, you will find a way to make it work."

"I'm going to do whatever it takes, when she heals, I am finding a way, and I am taking her down that damn isle" He said matter of factly. He knew opening himself up made him vulnerable, but he felt safe spilling all of this out to Jim. He could _trust_ Jim.

"Tell me we're all invited." Jim smiled.

* * *

Back upstairs Catherine was contemplating leaving, to spend a few hours with Lindsey and she said she desperately needed a shower. Greg remembered his cat, and figured he should at least run home and make sure he still had food and water. Warrick Flipped his phone shut.

"Tina's on her way home, and I'm gonna head home for a while, haven't seen each other in over a day."

Nick looked up, "Well I'm gonna be here until I need to go back to Bruno." A bit sad when he realized everyone but him had someone or something to go home to.

A doctor in light blue scrubs appeared in the doorway. "Dr. Grissom?" He peered around the room.

"Grissom is eating breakfast" Greg said jumping to his feet. The group instinctively huddled together, expecting the worse.

"When he is back, please have him go to the nursing station." The doctor said and headed back through the double doors.

They stood there, huddled together, Warrick wrapped his arm around Catherine, and Greg gave Nick a worried look. Nick flipped open his phone and dialed.

"Nick?"

"Gris, get up here, a doctor just came looking for you, he said to send you to the nursing station."

Grissom got up from the table and dashed to the elevator, Brass on his heels.

They saw Grissom running down the hallway; he almost fell over as he slid to a stop at the nurses station.

"I'm Gil Grissom, a doctor was looking for me, I am with Sara Sidle."

The young nurse looked up from her computer screen "Oh yes, please come with me sir."

The team watched helplessly as Grissom disappeared behind the double doors.

Catherine started pacing. "Oh my god, oh my god" She muttered as the tears started to fall.

"Cath! Cath!!" Warrick grabbed her and pulled her into his chest. "It's ok, It'll be ok, I'm sure Sara is ok."

"You don't know that! What if, what if she's..."

"Don't say it Catherine. Don't say it" Nick pleaded.

* * *

Grissom rounded the corner and followed the nurse into Sara's room. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest as Sara turned and looked up at him.

"Sara!!" He exclaimed as he ran to her bedside. He grabbed her hand and kissed her cheek. "Oh Sara...oh Sara" He couldn't hold back the tears as he felt her grip his fingers.

"Gi...Gil" She choked. The nurse brought a small cup of water and dipped a pink sponge in it. She wet Sara's lips and mouth, dipped it again and told Sara to suck on the sponge. "We're going to take it slow with water ok? Little dips of the sponge for a few hours, we don't want to risk you aspirating ok?" She turned to Gil. I'll leave this here; you can wet her mouth as need."

"Thank you." Gil whispered as she turned to walk out of the room. "Oh! Nurse! Please wait."

She stopped. "The people in the waiting room, will you tell them she is awake. I'm sure they are thinking the worst." Gil said. He turned to Sara "If that's ok?" He asked her. Sara simply nodded.

"Sure. My name is Nicole, I will be Sara's nurse until 11pm tonight, if you need anything don't hesitate to push the call button." She said, motioning to the wire clipped to Sara's bed. Gil nodded and the nurse left them alone.

He turned toward Sara, tears still forming in his eyes. "I was so scared, so scared Sara. I can't lose you."

Tears formed in her eyes. "Gil, I love you. You are what kept me going, I had to get back to you."

Gil lay his head next to hers and just let the tears go.

The team was once again huddled together, Brass, Greg, Nick and Warrick trying desperately to calm Catherine. The doubles doors swung open and the nurse made her way to the waiting room. They looked at her, trying to read her face to brace themselves for whatever she had to say.

"Sara wanted you to know she is awake." The nurse told them softly, and they broke into cheers. Warrick hugged Catherine with all he had and Nick, Greg, and Brass exchanged hugs as well.

The tears flowed form Catherine's eyes. "She's awake!" She buried her head in Warrick's chest and cried. "Sara is awake."

After a few hours the nurse came to tell them Sara had been moved to a private room down the hall and they could see her for a few moments.

They all stood on the doorway for a few minutes, Sara was asleep, Gil in the chair next to her, his head on the bed, holding her hand, and he was asleep as well.

"I'm going to go to Lindsey, Ill be back later" Catherine said, and turned to leave.

"I need a shower and some sleep too, see you guys later." Warrick added and walked with Catherine down the hallway.

"I'm going to head home, make sure Cadium is ok." Greg announced

"You named your cat _Cadium_?" Nick questioned. Greg just shrugged and headed down the hall.

"I think I will go get her flowers in the gift shop." Brass whispered to Nick.

"Ok, I'm gonna head out in a few minutes, check on Bruno." Nick smiled, and Brass turned and headed to the elevators.

Nick turned and look at the two of them, their fingers intertwined, content enough to just let themselves rest now. He pulled Sara's note out of his wallet, walked over and put it on the bed, next to the pair of clasped hands and turned to leave.


	5. Chapter 5 Home

**A/N** - Ok Epilogue coming, I am debating doing the wedding scene or not, what do you guys think? I am not very happy with this chapter, so let me know what ya'll think... I am always open to rewrites!

**Disclaimer** - I own nada!

* * *

Nick walked into Grissom's house, just like he had done everyday after shift for the past 3 weeks.

Bruno met Nick at the door, knowing it was time for their walk. Nick clipped the leash onto the collar and they traveled out into the neighborhood, the sun starting to peak over the red rocks on the horizon.

"Well Bruno, Mama comes home today, we have a lot to do when we get back to the house, so we aren't going far today!" Nick told him as they rounded the block for the second time and headed back to the house.

Once inside, Nick went about his routine, filling the food bowl, and rinsing out the water dish and giving the happy dog fresh water. Grissom had come home a few times, to shower and get a change of clothes; he would even take Bruno for a little walk, fearing the dog might be confused with Nick coming over daily. But Nick and Bruno now had their own little routine and Nick was contemplating getting his own dog once things went back to normal, he found himself happier knowing someone was waiting for him after shift.

Bruno lifted his head from his bowl, and cocked his head to the side and trotted to the front door. Nick leaned over the kitchen table and peeked through the blinds. He saw two Denali's and a Taurus in the driveway.

"It's ok Bruno, that's my help!" Nick assured the dog with a rub on the head as he opened the front door.

Once by one, the team entered the house, each looking around with large eyes, taking in the house.

"Take us on the tour Nicky!" Catherine said happily, her face like a child's in a candy store with a $100 bill.

"Ok, well this is the living room; back here is the den..." He said as they filed through the house.

"The kitchen, oh! And this is Mr. Bruno!" Nick said bending down to scratch the dog's ears. Bruno peered around Nick, sniffed the air a bit, and headed around the group up the stairs.

"Ok, and now we follow Bruno..." Nick said, leading the team up the stairs. "This is the office, the bathroom, and the bedroom." The group crowded into the doorway, Bruno lay on the bed, not interested in the group of people staring in.

"Wow..." Is all Catherine could mutter as she peered around the dark blue bedroom...

"Not how I imagined it at all..." Greg added.

Brass and Warrick exchanged glances, not sure what the fuss was all about.

"Why don't we get to work?" Brass chimed in.

* * *

Catherine cleaned the upstairs and downstairs bathrooms, Greg was busy with the vacuum cleaner and his bottle of Windex, Brass and Warrick worked on building a ramp in the front yard, trying to get it as close to the cement stairs as possible, so Sara would have a smooth ride in and out of the house. Nick busied himself cleaning the kitchen, dusting shelves and watering Sara's plants.

Nick heard the familiar thump and clicking of Bruno's nails on the floors upstairs, but they were quicker this time. Bruno came barreling down the stairs and nearly crashed through the front window as he jumped up to see out.

Nick peeked through the blinds and saw Grissom getting out his car.

"They're here!!!! They're here!!" Nick yelled and Catherine and Greg came rushing around the corner, feverishly putting their cleaning supplies away.

They watched as Warrick and Brass helped get Sara into her wheelchair and headed for the house. Nick headed for the door and noticed a giant sign hung over the stairs, "Welcome Home Sara!" Was written in colorful bubble letters.

"Lindsey and I made it last night" Catherine said when she noticed him looking at it.

"That's great!" Nick smiled. He reached forward and grabbed Bruno's collar as the door opened and Sara was wheeled in.

"BRUNO!!!!!" Sara exclaimed and the dog dashed towards the chair, jumping up on Grissom, but reaching his head over to Sara.

Tears formed in her eyes as she looked up at Nick. "He looks fabulous Nick!! Thanks so much for taking care of him for us"

Seeing her gap toothed smile, Nick nearly lost it, he choked the tears back and simply nodded.

Grissom scanned his home. "Did you _clean_?" He questioned.

"Yeah, Greggo even helped!" Nick laughed.

Greg nodded and straightened his collar. "Sure did!"

"Oh!" Sara smiled as she saw the banner hanging before her

"Lindsey and I made it last night. Got some blue paint on my beige carpet, but it was worth it" Catherine smiled.

"Well you tell Lindsey thank you, and thank you too Catherine." Sara smiled as Catherine gave her a hug.

"Say, where are going to sleep?" Warrick questioned as he realized the bed was upstairs.

"Oh, a bed will be arriving in about an hour, we're going to set it up in the den and sleep down here for a while." Grissom told them.

"Ahh yes, then when I am better we will finally turn the office into a second bedroom." Sara smiled.

"Yeah because we have so many guests staying over." Grissom laughed.

"Hey man, I would have loved a bed some of the nights I fell asleep on that couch!" Nick chimed in.

"See??" Sara laughed.

* * *

After a few hours of rearranging furniture in the den, and too many slices of pizza, the team lined up at the door, ready to leave Sara and Grissom alone for the night.

Nick lingered behind, and gave Bruno a good tummy rub. Sara watched as her dog wriggled and wiggled under Nicks touch.

"Nick?"

"Yeah Sar?

"Thanks again, he looks really happy."

"It was my pleasure, really. He is a great dog. Doesn't like baths, but otherwise..."

Sara let out a good belly laugh. "Oh man, you should see ME try and give him a bath! I end up cleaner than he does!"

Nick laughed as he stood up.

"I did a little grocery shopping last night, not much, but I had to toss almost everything in the fridge, and figured you might want some food. And I watered all your plants for you, they're all blooming now." Nick smiled.

Sara reached out her arms and hugged her friends with all the strength she could muster up.

"Thank you Nick, Thank you" She whispered.

Nick wiped the tears from his eyes and reached out and shook Grissom's hand. "Welcome home guys, have a good night." He smiled and reached over and gave Bruno's head a good scratch and turned to leave.

"Nick?"

"Yeah Gris?"

"Don't be a stranger; I think Bruno will miss you"

"Sure thing" Nick smiled and shut the door behind him.

Once they were alone, Grissom carefully picked up Sara from her chair and put her into the bed. He helped her change into her pajamas, brought her a bottle of water and finally settled in next to her.

"We have really good friends." Sara sighed as she tried to get as comfortable as she could with 3 casts on her broken body.

"We really do." Grissom smiled as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. The team had always been somewhat close, but this was the first time he really thought of them as friends, and not_ just_ co-workers.

Bruno put his paws on the bed and stared at Sara. He sniffed at the cast on her legs, and looked up at her again.

"C'mon baby" She smiled, and the dog gently jumped on the bed and immediately wedged himself between Sara and Gil.

"Oh really??" Grissom laughed as the dog put his head on Sara's lap." I see how it's going to be!"

"He missed me" Sara smiled as she gently rubbed the dog's head.

Grissom looked at her and stood up and marched out of the room.

"What the hell was that about?" Sara asked the dog softly, and Bruno just sighed and closed his eyes.

"I bought you something" Grissom smiled as he came back into the den. He held out a black velvet box.

Tears welled up in Sara's eyes as she opened it. "Oh Gil." She choked as she stared at the sparkling diamond tucked inside the box.

"I realized I never bought you one, I'm sorry." He said as tears started forming in his eyes.

"I didn't need one Gil, you know that." She smiled as she slid it on her slender finger.

"I tried to find one as beautiful as you are... but I failed. I don't think one exists." He smiled as he softly kissed her lips.


	6. Chapter 6  Dinner and RollerCoasters

**A/N** - So I went a bit fluffier with the ending, let me know what you think!

**Disclaimer** - CSI belongs to much richer people...

* * *

It had been nearly six months since the night they had found Sara alive. She had finished her physical therapy and was finally off light duty and back in the field.

As she photographed broken windows and footprints in the mud, she glanced up at her new team. She missed seeing her friend's faces, her witty back-and-forths with Nick, and teasing Greg, she missed having Grissom to lean on while on a case. But it was all worth it. She would see them all together Saturday evening anyway, when she would finally walk down the aisle.

Her new team was all business, and that was fine by Sara, even if she did miss the old team. She had the house to herself when she went home at night; she and Bruno shared the bed, so she didn't feel lonely. When Gil would get home they could discuss their cases and not already know what the other knew. She was happy with her new life.

* * *

"This wasn't necessary guys" Gil said as he folded his napkin in his lap.

"Well, we could always head to Stripperama" Greg smiled. Warrick gave him an elbow to the ribs.

Nick laughed, and Brass rolled his eyes.

"Well Sara and Cath are having a girl's night, why can't we have a guy's night?" Nick questioned.

"I am just not the bachelor party type I guess" Grissom sighed.

"Its dinner and rollercoaster's, not _stripperama_" Brass said, giving Greg the evil eye.

Warrick laughed, and leaned back as the waitress left a steaming plate of appetizers.

* * *

Sara, Catherine and Lindsey sat with their feet in a tub of fizzling water, cucumbers over their eyes.

"I am sooooo glad you talked me into this Cath. This is nice" Sara said.

"Mmm Hmmm" Catherine muttered.

"So what's tonight?" Lindsey asked.

"Pizza, pajamas, and good eye candy movies!" Sara laughed.

That night the 3 girls sat on Catherine's floor, open pizza boxes surrounded them, bits of popcorn that fell from the bowls, and pop cans everywhere.

'Dirty Dancing' played in the background, but they trio was too busy chatting to watch the movie.

"So Sara, how did you know Gil was the one?" Lindsey asked as she took another bite of Pizza.

"You just know Linds. They always say, don't marry the one you can live with - marry the one you can't live without. So that's what I am doing tomorrow." She smiled.

Lindsey smiled.

"She is obsessed with love right now" Catherine told Sara, giving Lindsey a glare.

"I want to be in love!" Lindsey chimed back at her mother, Sara laughed.

"Linds, you will have love someday, and along the way you'll have your heart broken, break a few hearts, and I guarantee you'll think you're love more than once. But then, when you find your 'one' you'll know it was all worth it. Don't rush it." Sara told her.

"You sound like my mom" Lindsey laughed as she got up to take the movie out."

"You and Gil ever think about kids?" Catherine asked once Lindsey was out of earshot.

Sara nearly choked on her popcorn.

* * *

The sunlight poured in Catherine's windows, and she opened her eyes. She had fallen asleep on the floor, Lindsey next to her with her feet in Catherine's face. She sat up and saw Sara face down on the couch, her hand hanging down to the floor.

Lindsey stirred for a minute, and then quickly sat up. Sara muttered something into the couch cushion and shifted her weight to turn and face and Catherine.

"What was that Sar?"

Sara sat up. "Holy crap I'm getting married today..."

Catherine laughed so hard she fell backwards...right into an open pizza box. "Oh Gross" She said as she sat up, a slice of pepperoni sliding off the back of her head.

"Ewww, you get the shower first." Sara laughed as she headed to the kitchen to make some coffee.

After breakfast at the Stratosphere, and a stop at the chapel to pick up flowers with Catherine and Lindsey, they headed back to Sara's.

"Hello?" Sara called out as they walked in the front door. She spotted a note next to the door.

"Dear Sara, I just couldn't do it, I am a man who can't be tied down" She read out loud. "... Ok, so I am lying. Bruno and I went for a walk, be back later. Gil"

"He picks the stupidest time to _try_ and be funny" Sara sighed.

"Let's see the dress!!" Lindsey smiled and they headed up the stairs.

Sara stared at the dress as Catherine put the rollers in her hair. Lindsey was busy laying out her make up, trying to get Sara to pick colors.

"I suck at this Linds... you pick." Sara sighed

"And remember she is a _BRIDE_ not a teenager going to the mall!" Catherine said.

"I _know_ mom...here, these greens are soft, but they'll make your eyes stand out."

"We're home!!" Gil called as he and the dog came busting in through the door.

"We're up here!" Sara called out.

He walked up the stairs and saw the dress hanging on the door, he peeked into the bathroom and saw Sara, giant rollers in her hair, Lindsey carefully applying make up to her eyes.

"I'm going to go down and shower and change." He announced.

"What time is it?" Sara called out blindly, Lindsey still carefully applying the greens to her lids.

"2:30!" He yelled from the bedroom, collecting his suit.

"Cripes" Sara sighed.

"Holy crap!" They heard Grissom almost yell from the other room. "I'm getting married in 2 1/2 hours!"

Catherine tilted her head back to laugh, but quickly looked behind her, running her hand through her hair. Lindsey giggled.

* * *

The limo pulled into the Wee Kirk o' the Heather parking lot, and the girls saw Gil, Greg, Warrick, Nick, and Brass patiently waiting.

Catherine jumped out first, carefully landing on her heels, Linsey climbed out, and they turned to help Sara.

Gil let out a gasp as she came out into the sunlight. Her hair was pulled back into a low bun, her dress was simple; white, no train, a simple bodice and loose but not fluffy skirt. No lace, no beads, no pearls. "Very Sara" He decided out loud as he walked over to greet his bride.

They walked into the small chapel hand in hand and a mere 15 minutes later walked out husband and wife.

As they got into the limo to head to the restaurant, they shared a kiss and sent the team into cheers. "See you there!" Catherine called out as they piled into Nick's car.

As they pulled out on the street and headed towards the strip, Gil grabbed Sara's hand.

"Do you feel any different?" He smiled as he kissed her lips.

"Actually, I do!" She laughed.

"Soooo, how do you feel about kids?" Sara asked softly.

Grissom spit out his champagne.

_Fin_


End file.
